Vietnam sympathizes with France for tragic Notre Dame fire

Vietnam sympathizes with the people of France for Monday's catastrophic fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Vice Spokesperson for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Phuong Tra answered queries from reporters Tuesday on Vietnam's reaction to the blaze.

In Tuesday's televised address to the nation, French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to rebuild the cathedral in 5 years.

We are a nation of skilled workers. So we'll rebuild Notre Dame cathedral even more beautiful. I hope everything will be completed within 5 years. We can do it, Macron said.

Fundraising for the reconstruction of the cathedral has begun. By Tuesday more than 114 million euros had been raised through two official websites of the French Heritage Foundation.

A 15-hour blaze destroyed the roof of the 850-year-old UNESCO world heritage landmark. The cause hasn't been determined but French media, quoting the firefighters, say it might be related to a 6.8-million-USD preservation project. The Paris prosecutor's office is investigating the fire, favouring the theory that the fire was an accident.